Lessons Learned: The Collapse of World Trade Center Building 7 (WTC)

Unlike the Twin Towers, WTC 7 was not directly hit by an airplane, yet it collapsed completely, making it the first known instance of a tall building brought down primarily by uncontrolled fires. This article aims to explore the structural causes behind the collapse of WTC 7 from an engineering perspective.

By |2024-01-04T10:53:39-06:00December 21st, 2023|Friday Famous Failures|3 Comments

Lessons Learned: The 1999 Aggie Bonfire Collapse

The Aggie Bonfire was more than a mere bonfire; it was a towering structure of log stacks reaching nearly sixty feet high, an emblem of Aggie spirit and camaraderie. The collapse, which occurred during construction, was a shocking tragedy that deeply affected the University and the broader community.

By |2023-10-23T09:35:30-06:00October 26th, 2023|Friday Famous Failures|3 Comments

Lessons Learned: The Denver International Airport Automated Baggage-Handling System

The Denver International Airport (DIA) is renowned for its iconic tent-like structure, but it is also infamous in engineering and project management circles for its ambitious yet flawed automated baggage-handling system. This system, which was intended to revolutionize the airport industry, instead became a case study in the pitfalls of over-ambitious engineering and poor project management.

By |2023-09-21T15:07:56-06:00September 28th, 2023|Friday Famous Failures|6 Comments

Westwego Grain Elevator Explosion

On the morning of June 28th, 1973, the small town of Westwego, Louisiana was rocked by a massive explosion that left 36 people dead and over 70 injured. The cause of this tragedy was a grain-dust explosion at the Continental Grain Company facility, which was one of the largest grain elevators in the country at the time.

By |2023-09-29T09:17:01-06:00August 24th, 2023|Friday Famous Failures|5 Comments

Tropicana Casino Resort Parking Garage Collapse

The Tropicana Casino Resort was one of Atlantic City’s premier gambling destinations, drawing thousands of visitors each year. As part of a major renovation effort, the Tropicana embarked on an ambitious construction project to build a nine-story parking garage. The project began in 2002 and was expected to take approximately 14 months to complete.

By |2023-07-27T08:25:35-06:00July 27th, 2023|Friday Famous Failures|4 Comments